 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
This week I'm in New York City, visiting my friends Yvonne and Chris, and collecting Pompeian reference from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
 |
| metropolitan-museum-ny.com |
The Met is such a treasure to behold from the outside — and from the very moment one walks through the door. The photograph below doesn't do justice to the lobby's dramatic weekly floral arrangements.
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
My primary mission is to look first-hand at Pompeian fresco details, but I'll photograph anything from antiquity that might be useful to the mural. (Incidentally, photography is permitted throughout the museum because digital cameras allow for great images without the use of flash.)
 |
| click to enlarge | The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Spring 2010 |
I had seen these panels from the home of P. Fannius Synistor many times, but I wanted to study them in person. These are the very same panels that inspired my unusual column design.
The vibrant color in the panels is amazing, especially considering their age. On one hand, it's a shame that so many pieces of fine art were removed from their sites in Pompeii, but on the other hand, it should be noted that many of the murals that have remained there are degrading at a rapid rate.
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
I like this doorway for its stylized marble, and for those inset panels that have a pure Art Deco look.
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
The surface of this image is actually darker than the photograph shows — we're getting some reflection here. But I love the simplicity of the image and the character of the bird. Looking at this, one might wonder whether such Pompeian images influenced the later macro-mosaics of Florence, below.
 |
| eBay |
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
I'm making a record of some of the Pompeian borders. Note that they're very flat at close range, but quite 3-dimensional at a distance.
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
Another good border, and I like those panels at the bottom of the image — expect to see those incorporated into my own room. Now look to the center of the image, at the white decorations that are acting as supports.
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
Those are a decoration the Pompeians borrowed from Greek design. Occasionally, the bottom "limbs" are fish tails, but more often they are represented as Acanthus leaves.
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
The Pompeian artists created fluted columns with believable shading by simply painting solid vertical lines in analogous color combinations.
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
Moving to the Greek and Roman galleries, I came upon this fragment and fell in love with the tremendous attitude expressed here.
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
I view museums, galleries and sometimes even retail stores as catalogs for ideas and reference. I'm often gleaning details that I can put to later use. Here, though the torso was lovely, I documented the expressive hand and the folds of drapery.
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
I made a mental note that eagles can rest atop garlands, and garlands can hang from the horns of rams. Look at the eye of the ram on the right. Sheep and goats have such strange eyes, and the sculptor captured the expression perfectly, don't you think?
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
Here's a satyr from the underside of a huge urn. Have you ever known anyone that mischievous? I have.
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
In another part of the museum I recorded paintings with metal reflections. I could have used this when I was painting the clipeus!
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
It's worth a trip to the armory gallery just to see the helmets! This beauty dates from the 1500s. Surely it was only used for triumphal processions — I'd hate to see that get dented!
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
This is a composite photograph of three halberds. I thought it was interesting that all three had tassels and hobnail patterns.
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
My reference collection isn't restricted to the Metropolitan; walking the streets of New York, I photographed this handsome architectural detail. I can use that for the base of my own mural columns.
 |
| Mark D. Ruffner |
Likewise, this carved border is wonderful reference.
Next week, I'll start incorporating some of my finds
into the Pompeii Room.
.
